Berlin (AFP) – Werder Bremen have signed Everton misfit Davy Klaassen after paying a reported club record of 14 million euros ($16.3m) for the Netherlands international, it was confirmed on Friday.
The midfielder has quit Goodison Park having failed to make an impact in the 12 months since Everton paid Ajax £24.30m (27.3m euros) for him and Bremen have reportedly given Klaassen a four-year deal.
Having made just 16 appearances in total, and only three Premier League starts for Everton last season, Klaassen now hopes to kick start his career in the Bundesliga with Werder.
The Dutch international will replace Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney who left Bremen for Borussia Dortmund last month in a deal reportedly worth 20 million euros.
Klaaseen is expected to be a like-for-like replacement at Bremen for Delaney, who scored three goals in 32 league games last season.
Having been told by new Everton boss Marco Silva there was no place for him in his plans, Klaassen believes he has found a suitable home with the Bundesliga club.
“It was important to me to know exactly where the journey was going on the pitch and the ambitions of the club have convinced me,” he told the Werder website.
“After my exchange with (Bremen coach) Florian Kohfeldt I have a very good feeling that I can make an important contribution here with my abilities.
“I want to prove that I can make a big impact here.
“The head coach wants to play a very open and attacking style of football and I am really excited about that.”
Bremen coach Kohfeldt headed up a delegation of Werder officials who flew to England earlier this week to convince Klaassen to come to north Germany.
“We made our club goals very clear to him: what we want to achieve, how we want to play and what a special club Werder is,” the Bremen boss told magazine Kicker.
“With him we brought the exact player we wanted to Bremen.
“We have been watching him for a long time and are glad that this opportunity has opened up.
“With his strategic sense, Davy is able to set a rhythm for the game, impresses with his creativity and is strong and aggressive at the same time.
“He will be an strong part of our game.”
Bremen, who finished 11th in Germany’s top flight last season, start their 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign at home to Hanover 96 on August 25.
